The Heaven In Your Eyes
by Magical Me
Summary: Up in Heaven, Lily does some thinking, and makes a wish with some very interesting consequences.
1. :)

I always have to have an author's note, so here it is! This is just a little story I wrote a long time ago, actually, but I didn't think of posting it until now. It's a rather interesting plot...well, read it, and we'll talk.  
  


The Heaven In Your Eyes  


  
Lily Potter sighed as she rolled over on the fluffy white cloud that had become her bed. There was a slight chill in the breeze today-a chill that told her quite plainly that something unusual was bound to happen.   
  
"Lily dear-breakfast came early today. I asked Mariel especially."  
  
"Thank you dear." She lifted her head slightly to watch James scurry across the floor. The white floor. White, just like practically everything else. Even James was looking whiter, somehow. Not as wildly refined as he used to look, with his untamed, jet-black hair and deep, dark eyes. She remembered when he looked like that. When everything was perfect.   
  
"That doesn't make sense!" she said aloud.  
  
"Did you say something, sweet?"  
  
"Oh, no, it's nothing." But it doesn't make sense, she told herself. Life, or should I say the afterlife, is supposed to be perfect now, not how it was.   
  
"Are you sure you're quite all right, honey?"  
  
"Yes, I'm positive. Go back to sleep, you look horribly tired."  
  
"Nonsense, I'm not tired at all. Couldn't sleep a wink if I tried."  
  
Lily allowed herself a sad smile. He was so good to her. Especially lately. She knew he'd noticed how depressed she was, and was going out of his way to make everything better.   
  
"Do you think you can manage for a spell if I just step out? Only I promised the Nathaniel Prewett I'd stop by for a bit. There's been a new arrival-an aunt, I think, or maybe it was a cousin. No matter. Anyway he's awfully excited, and I couldn't resist--"  
  
"It's fine, darling, in fact I think it's lovely that you're going."  
  
"Well, see you in a bit, eh? I'll be missing you," he added quickly, as he pecked her on the cheek and dashed out the door.  
  
Slowly, Lily pushed herself out of bed, and wiggled her feet about a bit until they found her white bunny slippers with the bright pink noses right smack in the middle. Then, running four fingers through her silky dark red hair, she proceeded to walk across the room.  
  
"Ah, there you are, Mariel," she said quietly, pushing the tall white door leading to the next room open. "I've been looking for you-I'm awfully distressed."  
  
"Of course you are, Lil," replied Mariel in soft, soothing voice. "Anything I can do?"  
  
"I don't know...That's the problem, I think. I don't know anything about anything. Or at least I haven't for these past few days, or weeks, or months, or whatever it's been. It's so hard to tell time up here."  
  
"Naturally, sweetness, as we don't really have time at all, do we?"  
  
"No, no, of course not. Sometimes I suppose I forget exactly where I am."  
  
"That's natural too you know, Lil. Everyone sometimes forgets where they are when they're torn between two different places."  
  
"Perhaps if I understood what you meant I could use that to make me feel better..."  
  
Mariel laughed softly. Lily loved the sound of that laugh. It was young and carefree, like bells jingling, hanging from light Spring flowers.   
  
"I mean exactly what I say. You, like many others, are torn between now and then. The world you know and the world you once knew. The present world and the past world. Your world and your son's world."  
  
"My son...my son..." Lily murmured softly, musing to herself. Yes, that's what this sudden moodiness has been about. Harry. Lord knows I've missed him, but lately it's gotten worse.   
  
"Harry," said Mariel simply, looking up briefly before going back to sewing a pale blue dress that was lying on her lap.  
  
"Harry," repeated Lily. "He's at Hogwarts now you know, Mariel. In his seventh year. I bet he's doing simply wonderfully...I wonder if he still looks exactly like James...with my eyes. Yes, his eyes were my very favorite part of his outside. Looking into them, I felt I had left my mark."  
  
"You needn't worry, Lily," Mariel whispered softly. "You've left your mark in more ways than that."  
  
A long silence ensued. Mariel watched fondly as Lily found herself being reeled into dreamland.   
  
"Will you be okay, darling?" Mariel asked finally, giving Lily an enquiring look.   
  
"I don't know...I don't know. Oh, what am I saying, of course I will! I've survived these past sixteen years, I can survive the rest. How long will that be, I wonder."  
  
"Think about what you're saying. Do you really want Harry dead just so he can be back here with you?"  
  
"Of course not! What a terribly morbid thought! I would never wish such a fate on him, no matter how badly my heart hurts. He's a strong, wonderful boy. He has everything ahead of him. Everything. But if there was some other way...I'd do it in a heartbeat."  
  
"Maybe there is."  
  
"Pardon me?"  
  
"Maybe there is."  
  
"Is what?"  
  
"Another way."  
  
"You're being silly. Of course there isn't."  
  
"You're just saying that. It's not what you want to believe."  
  
"Of course it's not, but I can't wish something into existence."  
  
"Don't underestimate the power of wishes."  
  
"What are you trying to tell me, Mariel?"  
  
"I'm trying to tell you, Lily, that I can help you visit Harry, if you want it badly enough."  
  
Lily choked mid-swallow.   
  
"If I want it badly enough?" She gave a half-hearted laugh, and then dropped to her knees. "What do I have to do, Mariel? Say the word, and I'll do it, I swear I will! Anything. I miss him. I love him more than anything except James, and you."  
  
"I know you do, sweetheart," murmured Mariel softly, stroking her friend's silky hair comfortingly. "And I'll help you. By the love I have for you, I swear it. Listen to me. This evening, at sunset, you are to go down to the waterfall in Old World Park. There's a rock there. More like a boulder. You'll notice it immediately because of its extraordinarily smooth surface. Stand on it, and look straight up, making sure you're facing the waterfall. A star, sooner or later, will appear. The first star of the new night. As soon as you see it, you are to forget everything else but your desire to see Harry once again. Close your eyes and wish with your whole heart, and if you care enough, when you open your eyes you will be far away. Where Harry is."  
  
"Where Harry is," Lily repeated dreamily. "I'll do it. Thank you Mariel. Thank you a thousand times. You're everything a girl could wish for and more. I don't know how I'd have survived without you."  
  
Mariel chuckled pleasantly. "If not to guard the angelic, what are guardian angels for?"  
  
  
  
Lily couldn't remember a day that had passed more slowly. Minutes seemed to be hours. She tried to amuse herself, but it was just so hard! Nothing seemed as much fun as it used to be. And then, as usually happens when you're eagerly anticipating something so much that you can't stop thinking about it, she started to think about it too much. She began to worry herself. What if things went wrong? What if Harry lost his mind when he saw her, or thought it was some cruel joke and tried to kill her? Could she die twice? What would happen then?  
  
But when sunset rolled around, Lily found herself walking, one foot in front of the other, in the direction of Old World Park. If there was the slightest, tiniest, most infinitesimal chance that this might work, Lily was going to try it, no matter the consequence to her.  
  
Ok, this is it. Make a right turn here...there it is! The waterfall. James and I used to come here to reminisce before we got really settled in, and before Mariel came to us. Now where's that rock? Ah-ha! Found it. My, it is terribly slippery. I wonder how I'm supposed to get to standing on it? Oh, there we go! It's amazing how this thing grips, not like it appears at all. It's almost dark now! The star should be out every minute! Keep your head up, Lily, keep it up. Wait for it, wait for it. Not yet. Oh, why is this taking so long? Lord, is that a star? It is! Wish, Lily, wish...  
  
Suddenly, everything went blurry. The world around her started to spin, slowly at first, but then faster and faster and faster until she couldn't make out a thing but blackness. Then a blinding flash of white and then...  
  
THUD! Lily landed with a plop on the ground. She lay still for a minute, almost unwilling to open her eyes. She felt around her. She seemed to be situated on some sort of plush material. It must be a carpet. How bad could it be? Slowly, she opened her eyes.   
  
Looking around, Lily realized she was in a room that looked strangely familiar. Four four-poster beds with lacy curtains stood on the bright scarlet carpet. A mirror stood in the right-hand corner of the room, and a tall wooden chest occupied the left-hand corner. That was when Lily realized where she was. She was in the Gryffindor seventh-year girl's dormitory.   
  
A sudden wave of realization swept over the stunned Lily. She had done it! She had really, truly done it! This was Hogwarts, and Harry was near. She could almost feel him. And there was her old bed! The bed she had slept in for seven years, with her best friend, Lydia Rose, in the next one over.  
  
"I could have died!"  
  
Lily managed to repress a startled scream at the sound of laughter and voices coming up the stairs. Quickly, she groped for the poster of one of the beds and pulled herself under just as the door burst open and three girls came giggling in.  
  
"I could have died too!"  
  
"I missed it."  
  
"Oh, Sam, you silly!"  
  
"I caught Seamus Finnigan looking at me during Charms yesterday!"  
  
"Oh, you're so lucky, Parvati!"  
  
"Don't listen to a word she says, Sam, because it's all lies. Seamus Finnigan wouldn't notice her if she dressed in a bright orange cat suit and slapped him in the face. Besides, what do I care? Ron was practically drooling over me during Transfiguration."  
  
"That's impossible!" declared Parvati, primping her hair as she made faces at herself in the mirror.  
  
"Is that so?"  
  
"Ron Weasley couldn't have been drooling over you, because he was too busy making googly eyes at Hermione. I saw him."  
  
"Well you saw wrong. Oh, it was such a mistake for him to start dating that little witch! She's got him hooked! He'd be so much happier with me, anyway. What does Hermione Granger have that I don't?"  
  
Parvati snorted. Sam looked confused.  
  
"If that's the way you want to be, fine. You'll just be sorry when Ron dumps Hermione and goes after me, and Seamus is still forgetting there even is such a person as Parvati Patil. I'm going to have some dinner before it's all gone."  
  
Parvati stuck her tongue out at the retreating Lavender before getting up and dragging the third girl through the door behind her, leaving the dazed Lily alone.  
  
Looking around to make sure everyone was gone, Lily propelled herself out from under the bed. She wondered how long she'd be allowed to stay. Even if she did end up having to share a dormitory with those obnoxious girls, she hoped it would be long for Harry's sake.  
  
She walked over to the window. It was dark out. Everyone must be at dinner, she thought. It was just as well. She'd have more time to get used to things. The air was more pressured down here, and it was sort of making her ears pop.   
  
She made her way over to the bedside table of the farthest bed to the right, away from the door. Tons of books were stacked onto the lower shelf. She reached for one. Advanced Transfiguration for Serious Students. Flipping through the pages, Lily smiled to herself as a memory of herself studying this exact book for her N.E.W.T. test came floating into her mind. Back before Harry was born, when she was still only dating James. Head girl and head boy. It was meant to be.  
  
In fact, Lily was so engrossed in her memories that she didn't even hear the soft footsteps coming up the stairs. She didn't hear the doorknob turn and the door click open lightly. She did, however, hear the scream.  
  
"Aaaaah!"  
  
"Crickey!" cried Lily, dropping the book in surprise.   
  
"W-who are you?"  
  
Lily didn't answer at first. She only turned around to see a girl of around seventeen with thick brown hair and deep brown eyes staring wide-eyed at her.  
  
"I'm Lily," she answered finally.  
  
"W-what are you doing here?"  
  
"I don't know, to tell the truth." Lily looked around helplessly. "I just sort of closed my eyes to wish, and here I am now. Maybe you can help me..."  
  
"Where are you from?"  
  
"Originally? Surrey."  
  
"Y-you look so much l-like, well, it's silly, I'm sure you're not some sort of long-lost twin or anything, but it is amazing how much you look like me."  
  
"I do?" Lily hoped she didn't look as confused as she felt. This girl was certainly pretty, but she looked absolutely nothing like herself! The hair, the eyes, the teeth? Was this girl feeling all right?  
  
"Yes, you do." The girl gave her a look as if to say 'shall I take you to a doctor?'.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't see the resemblance. I--" What could she say? Shakily, she moved towards the girl, who was standing, stock still, between the door and the mirror.  
  
"You can't? Are you quite positive? Come look, won't you?"  
  
The girl stepped aside and Lily quizzically stepped in front of the mirror. She almost screamed at what she saw. The girl was right. She did look exactly like her! Why, she wasn't herself at all!  
  
"Oh my lord..."  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"I do-I do look exactly like you. But I don't look like me!"  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"I don't look the same as I did when I got up this morning! My hair, it's gone! It was red! And my eyes were green!"  
  
"I'm sure they were..."  
  
"Who are you?" asked Lily suddenly, as an idea popped into her head.  
  
"Hermione Granger."  
  
"You wouldn't, by any chance, know Harry Potter?"  
  
"Of course I do! We've been best friends since half way through our first year. We--" she stopped there, and a tint of red came flowing into her cheeks.  
  
"I've got it, then!"  
  
"Got what?"  
  
"Why I'm here, and why I look like you!"  
  
"Well it's about time you explained, then!"  
  
"Hermione, this is going to sound a little odd, even for the wizarding world. I'm not expecting you to believe me at first. But you have to, oh please! I need your help, desperately. I'd much rather it was you I confided in than any of those frivolous little girls that came in here earlier."  
  
Hermione laughed a light, silvery laugh and nodded.  
  
"I told you before my name is Lily. I just didn't tell you my last name. It's...Potter."  
  
Hermione laughed again. "Maybe I ought to take you to see Madam Pomfrey after all."   
  
"Oh, Hermione, you mustn't do that! Just let me finish explaining! I'm sure you know as well as anybody that I'm dead. But I was missing Harry so much that I couldn't stop moping around and feeling sorry for myself, and of course James and Mariel noticed it too--"  
  
"Mariel?"  
  
"She's our guardian angel, and the reason I'm here right now. She was the one who told me about the star that could grant me my wish. I followed her advice, and here I am."  
  
"Even if I did believe you, which I'm not saying I do, that still doesn't explain why you look exactly like me."  
  
"I think that since you're the best girl friend of Harry's, that I was sent down here as you so that I can get close to him and spend time with him without making him suspicious. And that's why I need your help so much. We have to make sure we're not seen by two people at the same time, because that's a horrible amount of explaining to do, and I don't want to get Harry nervous."  
  
"This is the silliest thing that has ever happened to me..."  
  
"Please, Hermione, believe me. You're a lot like me. I know in my heart that you know it's true in yours. Please, Hermione. Please."  
  
"I--" All of sudden, Hermione coughed, and she stared at Lily. "I believe you. You're-you're Lily Potter! But-how-oh."  
  
Lily sighed in relief. "Praise Dumbledore! Thank you, Hermione. We'll be able to help each other, I'm sure of it."  
  
Hermione smiled to herself as she shook this woman's hand. Never a dull moment.  
***  
  
A/N: Told you we'd talk! So what do you think? I don't remember liking it that much, but then I came back and re-read it, and now it's starting to grow on me. I don't have any more written, but if you like this, I think I'll write more. Of course, I won't know if you like it unless you review! ;~). Luv ya! Luv ya all!  



	2. ;)

Part two! What else can I say?  
  


***  
_Calling out your name  
Your face is everywhere  
I'm reaching out to you  
To find that you're not there  
I wake up every night  
To see the state I'm in  
It's like an endless fight  
I never seem to win  
I can't go on as long as I believe  
Can't let you go when I keep wondering  
  
Where are you now, what have you found  
Where is your heart, when I'm not around  
Where are you now, you gotta let me know  
Oh, baby, so I can let you go_  
***  


  


The Heaven In Your Eyes  
Part II  


  
Hermione groaned softly as she turned over in bed. It was still a little bit dark outside, and in the beds next to her, Lavender, Parvati, and Samantha, who had come to Hogwarts in Hermione's sixth year after moving back to England from America, were still fast asleep, Parvati snoring loudly.  
  
Pushing herself off the bed, Hermione fumbled groggily towards the bathroom. She knocked twice, and pushed the door open, closing it quietly behind her.   
  
"Lily?" she whispered, flicking on a light switch.   
  
The bath curtains began to part, and in moments, Lily's (or rather Hermione's) face appeared, looking quite blotchy with huge purple bags hanging under the cinnamon eyes.   
  
"What time is it?" she asked through a big yawn.  
  
"Almost five in the morning. Here." Hermione flicked her hands towards Lily, spraying her with droplets of water.  
  
"I needed that," smiled Lily, slowly stepping out of the tub while Hermione wet down her own face. "Towel?"  
  
"Yes please."  
  
"Do you have a plan?" inquired Lily, running several fingers through her now brown hair. She was surprised to find that instead of the silky texture she was used to, Hermione's hair was rather rougher, and much thicker. Still, it was pleasing to touch, though much harder to brush, as she later found out.  
  
"Well, yes, actually. Of course, you'll have to approve of it first."  
  
Lily nodded for her to go on, but Hermione only opened her mouth to close it again, an odd look on her face.  
  
"Are you all right?"   
  
"Oh-yes, I'm so sorry. Only I'm just not used to talking to myself. Or, you know, someone who looks exactly like me. It's very--"  
  
"Disconcerting," Lily finished for her, and she laughed.  
  
"Disconcerting," she agreed. "Anyway, I thought that I'd go down to breakfast, giving you a chance to get ready without Lavender, Parvati, and Sam trying to talk you to death. And I'm sure you're anxious to see Harry, but I'd really like to try to miss as few classes as possible."  
  
"Of course," said Lily kindly, repressing the urge to bind and gag Hermione and live her life uninterrupted for as long as she pleased. Somehow, she was sure this wasn't what Mariel would want her to do, and she couldn't risk getting pulled away before seeing Harry.  
  
"So I'll go to class with them after breakfast, and then break, and then the next two classes. At lunch, though, I'll come back up for you, and you can eat with everyone. And we get Friday afternoons off, so you can stay with them for as long as you like. Only-I'd really appreciate it if I could not go without dinner."  
  
"I'll see to it that you don't," whispered Lily, giving Hermione the biggest smile she could muster.   
  
"And one last thing. Lavender and the rest will be up soon, so I really hope you don't mind hiding under my bed for half an hour. I'm really sorry," she added, "but I can't think of any other place they wouldn't be, and we can't risk them knowing that there's two of us."  
  
"I don't mind at all," said Lily, and she was telling the truth. She was willing to do anything at this point to see Harry as soon as possible with nothing in the way.   
***  
  
"Morning, Hermione," said Ron cheerfully, giving her a peck on the cheek as she lowered herself into a chair at the Gryffindor table for breakfast.   
  
"Morning, Ron. Pass me some of those rolls, please. And the butter. Morning, Harry."  
  
"'Lo," he murmured in response, drenching his tall stack of pancakes in maple syrup.  
  
"Ready for that Potions quiz?" asked Ron, and Hermione suddenly noticed that instead of a plate, Ron had several papers spread out in front of him, all of which seemed to be messy, hastily scrawled notes.  
  
"Looks like you're not."  
  
"That's not what I asked you," muttered Ron sarcastically. "Well? Are you?"  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
"Oh, good, you can help me study!"  
  
"Ron! You're supposed to do these things in advance!"  
  
"I know. I was just-busy."  
  
"Yeah. Playing Quidditch and jokes on Malfoy is a full-time job," piped up Harry, whose pancakes were now almost invisible under syrup, butter, and powdered sugar.  
  
"You're not helping, Harry," scolded Hermione. "And don't you know it's unhealthy to have all that for breakfast?"  
  
Harry shrugged and went back to shoveling food into his mouth, as Ron resumed his plea for help.  
  
"Oh all right!" sighed Hermione, giving in.   
  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you one. So...In a coughing potion, do you add the leeches or the lacewing flies in first?"  
  
"Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo."   
  
"Hermione!"  
  
"Huh? Oh-the flies."  
  
"F-L-I-E-S," muttered Ron, as he scribbled on a piece of heavy yellow parchment. "And in the reverse potion, is it the cockroach legs or the diced roots you leave out?"  
  
"What? Oh-the diced roots. Wait, what am I saying? It's the cockroach legs."  
  
"Well? Which is it?"  
  
"The cockroach legs," said Hermione, sounding sure.  
  
"Hermione? Are you okay?" asked Harry finally, after three minutes of confused quizzing between Ron and Hermione.  
  
"What do you mean? Of course I'm okay." Hermione chuckled, hoping she didn't sound nervous.   
  
"Okay. It's just that you usually know everything right off the bat, just as if you'd swallowed a textbook. And today...Well, today, you just sound a little slower. You know."  
  
"Oh? Really? Well, I didn't get much sleep last night. I wasn't very tired. And then I went and woke up at five this morning. So yes, I suppose I'm just not fully awake yet."  
  
"I hope that's it," declared Ron, "or you'll be in big trouble during Potions."  
  
Hermione smiled appreciatively, hiding her relief. Just being next to Harry made her want to blurt out everything that'd happened to her last night.   
  
"This is going to be harder than I thought," she reflected silently, sinking her teeth into a sweet red apple.  
***  
  
"Finally!" exclaimed Lily, jumping off of Hermione's bed like a small child on its way to Disneyland. "It's seemed like ages."  
  
"Sorry. Are you ready?"  
  
"You have no idea."  
  
Hermione grinned. "And you remember everything I told you?"  
  
"I've had hours to go over it in my mind."  
  
"All right then-I've just told Harry and Ron that I had to drop some of my books off. You remember how to get to the Great Hall?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay, then. Good luck!"  
***  
  
"What took you so long?" demanded Ron, as Lily approached the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Oh-nothing. Sorry about that."   
  
Lily's heart seemed to be stuck in her throat. Right there-right next to that boy she'd been talking with-that was him. Harry. After sixteen years of watching form afar, he was right near her, in the flesh. She swallowed slowly, calming herself.  
  
"Sit down," said Ron, tugging at her arm slightly, and she did so.   
  
"You're not still upset with Snape, are you? Everyone knows you didn't really cheat, Hermione," said Harry, giving her a sympathetic look.  
  
"No, dea-er, no, I'm completely, totally, one hundred percent fine." How sweet Harry was!  
  
"Good, because boy have we got news for you!" smirked Ron.  
  
"Crabbe and Goyle did some spell--"  
  
"And it backfired on them--"  
  
"And they've both completely lost their memories!" finished Harry, glowing with mirth.  
  
"Oh," muttered Lily, completely at a loss for a response. She cursed herself inwardly. She'd remembered everything Hermione had told her-except for who Crabbe and Goyle were. Apparently, Harry and Ron were happy about this, and she'd just have to go by that. "How-delightful."  
  
"Of course, it's only temporary, which is really too bad, but we've still got a full day to enjoy!" Ron was grinning evilly.  
  
"You're awfully quiet about this," said Harry, looking at Lily as if she might be sick.  
  
"Am I? I just have a headache. That's all, really."  
  
"Is it bad? I'll take you up to Madam Pomfrey if you'd like," offered Ron, looking concerned.  
  
Pomfrey...Pomfrey? Oh yes! The nurse, of course, who else could she be?   
  
"No, thank you, I'll be fine."  
  
"All right," shrugged Ron, leaning towards her. And the next thing she knew-  
  
BANG!  
  
"Hermione! Hermione, are you all right?" Harry and Ron were standing above her, looking extremely confused.   
  
"I'm perfectly all right, thanks. My head's pounding, but otherwise I'll manage quite well."  
  
"What happened?" asked Harry, utterly befuddled (I love that word!).  
  
"Dunno," muttered Ron, holding out a hand for Lily to take, as Harry did the same. "I just leaned in to kiss her, and...plop!"  
  
"Well, naturally! I'm mar--," Lily swallowed her words, her eyes opening wide as she became fully aware of what she'd been about to say.   
  
"You're..."  
  
"I-I'm mar-mortified, Ron, really I am. You only just surprised me."  
  
Both boys were looking at her strangely, not to mention a good portion of the other dining Gryffindors. The girls she recognized as Lavender and Parvati had their heads together, and were giggling madly.  
  
I cannot afford to do that again.  
***  
  
  
  
"So, what do you say we visit Hagrid?" Ron said smirk, leaning back into his armchair in the Gryffindor common room.  
  
It was late afternoon, and Harry, Ron, and Lily had spent the time after lunch in the common room. Ron and Harry had just finished a game of chess, which Ron had won by a long shot, leaving Harry in a would-be injured mood. Lily sat in a chair next to them, pretending to be involved in 'her' homework, while really allowing her eyes to rest on her son when she thought he wasn't looking.  
  
At the mention of Hagrid, Lily's eyes lit up. Hagrid had been an old friend of hers, and James especially, when they had been at Hogwarts. Memories of sneaking off to the gamekeeper's hut at night to hatch wild plans and dream wild dreams, helping him with his crazy pets, and pretending to enjoy his rather interesting cooking, flooded back to her, and she couldn't resist a wide, although somewhat saddened, smile.  
  
"Oh yes, let's!" she exclaimed, closing her book, and gathering up some loose papers. "I'd love a break. History of Magic can be so tedious!"  
  
Harry and Ron looked at each other, alarmed by the fact that Hermione wanted a break from her homework, but in the end it was decided that they'd visit Hagrid anyway.  
  
As it turned out, Hagrid was extremely excited to see them. When the trio knocked on his door, he swung it open and ushered them inside, Fang barking uncontrollably as usual. But instead of running to Harry, like the boarhound usually did, he made right for Lily, knocking her over as he jumped.  
  
"Whoa, easy there, Fang," said Hagrid, petting him soothingly, allowing Lily time to get up and dust off her robes. "Just excited ter see yeh. I am too, yeh know. Tea, anyone?"  
  
"Yes, please," answered Ron, and Lily and Harry nodded their heads in agreement.   
  
"So, what's been up with yeh?" inquired Hagrid, bustling about his kitchen. "Seems like ages since yeh've been ter see me."  
  
"Sorry, Hagrid," apologized Harry. "They're giving us loads of work up at school. You know, with graduation coming up so soon and all."  
  
"It's hardly fair," muttered Ron, "as we've got to study for our NEWTs, as well."  
  
"Well, I wouldn' worry too much. Some folks work for years ter study fer their NEWT tests, and they still come out miserably. Sometimes, yeh've just gotta be born with the talent."  
  
"I'm sure that would reassure us-if we'd been born with it." Harry ran both hands through his messy black hair, and Lily was strongly reminded of James.  
  
"Which we weren't," added Ron.  
  
"I wouldn' be too sure abou' that." Then Hagrid put their tea down in front of them and refused to say any more on the subject.  
  
"What've you been doing?" asked Lily, sipping her tea. The leaves were swirling at the bottom, making an intoxicating pattern. For some reason, they made Lily feel sick to her stomach. She was reminded too strongly of Sybill Trelawny. And she hated to think about Sybill Trelawny. It hurt too much.  
  
"Oh-not too much ter interest yeh."  
  
There was something about the way he said that small sentence that made Ron, Harry, and Lily glance at each other. One look into each pair of eyes, and Lily could tell that they were thinking the same thing-Hagrid sure was up to something interesting. A little too interesting, probably.  
  
"It's not another dragon, is it?" asked Ron immediately.  
  
"Don' know what yeh're talking about."  
  
"Come on, Hagrid!" whined Lily. "You do know what we're talking about, whether you want to admit it or not."  
  
"I--"  
  
"We could do this the easy way, or the hard way." Lily felt the urge to giggle at Harry's words, and it seemed like Ron did, too. However, both of them managed to hold it in, because Hagrid had taken him seriously enough.  
  
"Yeh've got ter promise not ter tell anyone."  
  
The three of them rolled their eyes.   
  
"Honestly, Hagrid," muttered Ron.  
  
"You know we'd never," added Harry.  
  
"Never," repeated Lily, with emphasis.  
  
Hagrid beckoned for them to lean in closer, which they all did.  
  
"Yeh won't believe it. It's really amazing, it is. Even I still have trouble. But-here it is."  
  
"Are you going to tell us or not?"  
  
"Er, sorry. I-I adopted a baby griffin!"  
  
There was a rather long, very uncomfortable silence. Hagrid's eyes wandered over Harry, Ron, and Lily, trying to make out their expressions. Ron was wide-eyed. Harry looked disbelieving. Lily wasn't quite sure she wanted to know how she looked.   
  
"Er...Hagrid? Griffins-well, griffins are extinct," said   
  
"Of course. Everyone knows that. But everyone's wrong. There are a very few griffins still alive. Yeh know how much of a prize they are. Them hunter folks-a horrible lot...they say a lot of 'em went and became Death Eaters-love to hang head an such in their livin rooms, to show off ter all their bloody friends."  
  
"But if they're so rare, how'd you manage to get a hold of one?" Harry still looked disbelieving.  
  
"Yeh didn' let me finish. Anyway, they were bein' hunted so badly that the Ministry went and decided to say they were extinct, so no one'd look for em anymore. They took the few that were left and put em in the care of good people, so they could breed 'em an such. A friend of mine had a friend who had one. Then his friend went an died, and he's givin me the griffin!"  
  
"You-you actually took it in?" Ron, too had started to share Harry's disbelieving look.   
  
"Of course! Why shouldn' I?"  
  
"There are a million reasons!"  
  
"What if it turns out like Norbert?"  
  
"A student could attack it!"  
  
"Calm down, you three! Nothing is gonna go wrong. No one can know about this, outside the three of yeh, and me. Oh, and Dumbledore."  
  
"You told Dumbledore?" cried Harry and Ron at the same time.   
  
"He's okay with it?" asked Lily incredulously.  
  
"Reckon he realizes the value of it," shrugged Hagrid. "Great man, Dumbledore. And really, it's gonna turn out okay this time."  
  
No one had anything else to say about it.  
***  
  
They spent the evening with Hagrid that night. Around seven a handful of busy-looking house elves came by with dinner trays, so they ate together, too. Lily was grateful for this. It meant Hermione could go down to the great hall for dinner without having anyone realize there were two of her running around the school. Besides, it was fun to have Harry and Hagrid to herself, and Ron reminded her, in a way, of Sirius Black.  
  
When they finally did leave the gamekeeper's hut, it had long since turned dark. Harry, Ron, and Lily huddled together, hugging their cloaks tightly about them and standing close together for warmth. It was a night without stars, although there was plenty of wind.  
  
"D'you really think this whole griffin business is going to turn out okay?" asked Lily, feeling awkward in the eerie silence.  
  
"Dumbledore does know about it this time. That means he can help Hagrid out if anything goes terribly wrong." Harry didn't look as confident as he felt, and Lily couldn't help but feeling proud that her son could put on a good brave face to comfort his friends.  
  
"Yeah. Don't reckon it could be that bad. But remember Norbert?"  
  
Lily laughed along with Ron and Harry, although she didn't really have any idea what they were talking about.   
  
"That bite he gave me-it was horrible! Hurt like anything."  
  
"And remember what a great prat Malfoy acted like?"  
  
"You lost so many points for Gryffindor!"  
  
"That part was horrible. But I suppose it's sort of funny now, looking back."  
  
"I reckon so," muttered Lily, trying her hardest to pitch into the conversation.  
  
"Hey-what's that?"   
  
Harry stopped walking suddenly, staring behind them into the Forbidden Forest. Lily turned around and looked too.   
  
"What's that light?" asked Ron wonderingly.  
  
"Looks just like a little fire from here," answered Lily.  
  
"You think someone's trying to burn down the forest?" asked Harry.  
  
"Nah. Just looks like a camp fire."  
  
"You don't think someone's camping out in the forest?" whispered Harry, and Ron snorted loudly.  
  
"Oh yeah, that would be great fun! Sitting by the fire with the centaurs, toasting marshmallows."  
  
"Would you like a smore, Mr. Aragog sir?"  
  
Ron and Harry almost collapsed under the weight of their giggles. Lily stopped herself from snickering.   
  
"Let's get back to the school. We're not supposed to be out this late. It's detention if they find us."  
***  
  
The door to the girls' dormitory creaked open, and Lily cringed. However, no one inside moved. Parvati, whose bed was closest to the door, was muttering in her sleep about submarines and midgets, and Lavender lay upside down in the next one over.   
Creeping to the other side of the room, Lily saw that Hermione was curled up on her bed, an open book lying next to her. Guiltily, Lily took the sleeping girl's shoulders and shook gently. Hermione groaned.  
  
"Wha-oh, it's you."   
  
Rubbing her eyes and looking rather grumpy, she sat up.   
  
"What is it?"  
  
Lily wasn't quite sure what to say.  
  
"Well, it's a good thing you took a nap, because we're going to be up late tonight. I have a lot to acquaint you with."  
***  
  
A/N: Well now. I started out not liking the beginning part of this installment, but the second one sort of made up for it. A lot of new ideas that will make the story a lot better occurred to me while writing this, so I'm excited to continue. I'm sorry this has taken a while. School just started, and there's a whole lot to do.  
  
Disclaimer: I really don't think these are necessary. I mean, this is fanfiction.net, right? People know that if they're not reading originals, the general gist of it is they're not reading completely original stuff. But anyway, Harry Potter and all that belong to J K Rowling, and the song excerpt at the beginning is from 'Where Are You Now' by Britney Spears. You're all the best. I love reviews *hint, hint*.   
  



	3. ;~)

My god! I'm soooo sorry! I checked my statistics the other day, and I realized I hadn't posted a part of this for well over a month! I really didn't mean to get this behind. Hope I can make up for it by posting the next parts relatively soon.  
  
You ought to be aware of one minor typo in the last part. Hermione says they have Friday afternoons off, but make that a Thursday, because today's Friday. In the story, at least._  
_

  
***  
I can hear your voice  
The ring of yesterday  
It seems so close to me  
But yet so far away  
I should let it out  
To save what's left of me  
And close the doors of doubt  
Revive my dignity  
  
But I can't go on as long as I believe  
Can't let go when I keep wondering  
  
Where are you now, what have you found  
Where is your heart, when I'm not around  
Where are you now, you gotta let me know  
Oh, baby, so I can let you go  
***  


  


The Heaven In Your Eyes  
Part III  


  
"Eating fatty foods for breakfast every day can cause you to have a heart attack at an early age, you know," Hermione muttered grumpily to Harry, who turned his eyes to the sky in an exasperated manner, before dumping practically the whole sugar bowl on his pancakes. It was the old familiar argument, and Hermione knew she ought to be nicer about it, but she was in no mood to be nice.  
  
She hadn't gotten very much sleep last night. Lily had crept into her room around eleven, and told her all about Hagrid's raising a griffin and the light they'd seen in the Forbidden Forest. And then, of course, they'd had to discuss it for an hour. And once Lily had finally drifted to sleep, Hermione had stayed up at least another hour, pondering the facts over again herself.   
  
"Are you paying attention?" asked Ron for about the millionth time that morning. As usual, papers full of notes lay strewn across the table, and Ron was looking agitated.  
  
"Oh, be quiet, Ron. Not eating breakfast can reduce your life span by ten years."  
  
"What's eating you?"  
  
Hermione ignored him. "Did Hagrid say when he'd be getting the griffin?"  
  
"Ssssshhhh," hissed Ron, looking at the surrounding Gryffindors suspiciously, as if he expected them all to be spies.  
  
"Think he mentioned it. Next Friday."  
  
Hermione coughed loudly in surprise and annoyance. Now she had two things to worry about, Harry's mum and Hagrid's griffin. Not to mention exams and the NEWTs.  
  
"We're going down to see it then, right?"  
  
"Yeah. Eleven."  
  
Eleven. It looked like another sleepless night was on its way.  


***  


  
Lily turned the page of "An Advanced Guide to Ancient Runes" lazily. The hot May sun shone into the dormitory and spilled on to the beds, even with the lack of a big window in the room.   
  
Suddenly, there was a slight tinkle, like the sound of several tiny bells. It seemed to get louder and louder, until there was a great 'pop!', and the sounds stopped altogether. Lily, alarmed, look up to see none other than Mariel, or at least an image of her, floating over the foot of the bed.  
  
"Good morning, Lily dear."  
  
"M-morning." Lily shut her book with a dramatic thud.  
  
"I'm sorry for dropping in unannounced like this...I daresay I gave you a fright. But I thought you'd want me to come."  
  
"Oh, yes. I'm very glad you came. I miss you."  
  
"So soon? And with your Harry with you and everything. It's such a shame, how humans never seem to be contented."  
  
"Oh-having Harry with me is wonderful. I can't begin to thank you enough--"  
  
"Then don't try, darling. Instead, let me talk to you, which is the real reason I came here anyway."  
  
Lily nodded her silent assent.  
  
"First of all, you should know that you weren't sent here merely because you wished to be. I also thought you'd be able to help your son, and his friends."  
  
If Lily was surprised, she didn't show it to Mariel.   
  
"Don't look for ways in which you can be of service. If I'm not much mistaken, these things will come to you. And secondly, I thought it only fair to warn you of the end of your visit down to Earth."  
  
"The end? I only just got here! I can't go now!"  
  
"My dear, I said nothing of your leaving now. I'm merely warning you that you have exactly a week from tonight to get to know your boy. I'll be coming for you next Friday night, at the stroke of one. You need not find me. I will find you. But now, I must take my leave of you. We guardian angels can only be in the heavy atmosphere of Earth for so long. Good luck, my Lillian."  
  
There was another 'pop!', and Mariel was gone, leaving Lily to her wild thoughts.  
  
One. A week from yesterday at the stroke of one, and Harry would be lost to her for who knew how long.  


***  


  
For one of the first times in her life, Hermione Granger was having trouble concentrating during Transfiguration. But she'd studied this material yesterday while Harry and Ron were out wreaking havoc with Lily. And besides, she had something else to occupy her mind.  
  
Harry and Ron were sitting right in front of her, both of them watching Professor McGonagall idly. Hermione let her eyes rest of the mass of bright read hair that belonged to the boy she was dating, and had been dating for the past two years. She adored Ron. He was funny, outgoing, nice, gentle-and an all around fun person. Why that couldn't be enough was beyond Hermione's comprehension, but the fact remained that it wasn't.  
  
Her eyes wandered slowly to Harry's dark, wild head. Right now, he was scribbling absently on a blank piece of parchment, his eyes still on their Professor. Hermione giggled inwardly. There was something about him that made her want to scoop him up and never let go. There was so much in Harry that was perfect. He was friendly, determined, courageous, and sweet. The boy who lived in Hermione's heart.  
  
Harry had been so understanding when she and Ron had started dating. He'd still been able to be the person they knew him to be, with no awkwardness at all. He and Ron had remained as close as ever, and nothing had changed.  
  
But since then, Hermione had come to realize that the reason for lack of change in all of them was the fact that she and Ron weren't really-would it be stupid to say in love? They'd just gone about dating, neither of them realizing that their feelings of friendship for each other hadn't truly developed into something more. But now Hermione had, while Ron appeared to be as oblivious as ever.  
  
And all this was made worse by the fact that Hermione was really in love with both her best friend and Ron's. And neither of them had any idea.  
  
"Miss Granger! Are you paying attention?"  
  
Words couldn't express how tired Hermione was of hearing that phrase. But it had to be answered.  
  
"Yes, Professor."  
  
"Good. Then you can tell us how to change the fox back into a ferret."  
  
"Yes, Professor. You flick your wrist twice and say, telursium."  
  
McGonagall nodded her head in approval, and Hermione went back to her musings.  


***  


  
"Pass the potatoes," Lily called to Seamus Finnigan, who was sitting diagonal from Ron.  
  
"And the butter and salt," added Harry, ignoring his mother as she rolled her eyes, as Hermione so often did. "Skip the lecture, mum," he joked, and Lily almost choked over her potato.  
  
"Honestly, Harry!" she cried, trying to maintain her composure, "I don't know what you mean! I'm certainly not your mother. Your mother-well, she's dead, Harry, and I'm quite alive, so I couldn't possibly be your mother. I'm Hermione Granger, seventeen. Not your mum. Not her."  
  
Ron caught Harry's eye over Lily's shoulder, and shot him a quizzical look. He shrugged, and began smothering his potato in butter and salt.  
  
"It's gloomy out today," a round-faced boy sitting across from Ron remarked. "I hate gloomy days. They make me more flustered than usual."  
  
"Well of course it would be gloomy today, Neville," Parvati declared superiorly, shaking her head as though it were the most obvious thing in the world that it wouldn't be sunny that day. "Everyone knows the day exactly a week before a Friday the thirteenth week is bound to be gloomy. It's common divination knowledge."  
  
"Who wants to bet she made that up on the spot?" murmured Ron, learning in towards Harry and Lily and dropping his voice, as Neville gave out a small whimper.  
  
"This Friday's a thirteenth?" he inquired in a hoarse whisper. Parvati, Lavender, and Sam all nodded solemnly. Harry and Ron rolled eyes at each other over Lily.  
  
"I wouldn't worry too much, Neville," said Harry, lowering his voice so the three aspiring divinators couldn't hear him. "Bad luck like that is just silly superstition. Nothing ever happens."  
  
Neville still looked scared out of his wits, despite Harry's words and Ron's agreeing nods.  
  
"Come on, Hermione, tell him he's being silly, and that nothing bad will happen. He'll believe you."  
  
Lily smiled as kindly as she could, but try as she might, she couldn't quite force herself to bring the words out of her mouth. She couldn't lie.  
  
"Just be optimistic, Neville," she was forced to content herself with saying, trying not to notice the sighs of exasperation she'd caused her beloved son and his best friend.  


***  


  
"Hermione, are you feeling all right?" asked Harry suddenly, as he, Ron, and Lily walked slowly up the steps to Gryffindor tower to collect their books before Charms (Lily would be relinquishing her place as Hermione to the real thing for the rest of the school day).   
  
"Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"Well, first you go all spacy in Transfiguration, and then you almost killed yourself choking over a piece of potato at lunch, and then you didn't even get annoyed with Parvati, Lavender and Sam's stupid 'prophecies'. Definitely not Hermionese behavior."  
  
Despite her nervousness, Lily laughed appreciatively at Harry's twisting of the language.  
  
"Oh, look!" cried Ron, after a few moments laughter. "Hogsmeade weekend!"  
  
"It's about time, too. I tore two of my practice robes in the last few weeks, and I feel horribly silly in one dirty one every day on the pitch. I'm desperate for new ones."  
  
"And we haven't been to Zonko's in ages," complained Ron. "Fred and George would be disappointed in me. Gryffindors have never gone this long without wreaking an amazing amount of havoc upon the rest of the school. It's been two days, at least."  
  
"How perfect," sighed Lily contentedly. It'll be lovely to see the old village again.  
  
"And while we're there, we could maybe sit and...chat...over a nice, friendly mug of butterbeer. Shared, of course." Ron grinned slyly at her, and Lily, remembering that he was supposed to be her boyfriend, grinned back. It could be worse. She could be dating her own son.  
  
"Aren't you going to invite me, Weasley?" asked a cold, drawling voice from behind them. Lily whirled around to see a tall, skinny boy with silvery-blond hair, a pointed head, and a shrewd face. Exactly how Hermione had described him. Exactly how Lily had pictured him.   
  
"Maybe if we were putting ourselves on skewers and toasting ourselves like marshmallows over a fire, I would. But not today."  
  
"But it's not all that bad, really," said Harry, with a shrug. "You can always have a romantic candle-lit steak dinner with your 'friends', Malfoy. Oh-I'm so sorry, maybe you don't go that way. It doesn't have to be steak, you know. Veggie burgers are always delicious, if not so elegant."  
  
"Burp slugs, you great prats."  
  
"Been there, done that. Not very pleasant." Ron made a face.  
  
"I meant the man-eating kind, Weasley."  
  
"Ouch, Malfoy. That hurts."  
  
"Literally," added Harry, and the pair of them broke into self-congratulatory laughter.  
  
"You think you're awfully smart, don't you? You know, I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you. There are forces in this world you couldn't possibly beat, even if you are the great Harry Potter himself. A mother's love my arse, Potter. Dumb luck. No mommy to help you next time. And there will be a next time."  
  
And with that, he turned on his heels and stalked out of the corridor, Crabbe and Goyle emerging out of the shadows and following him, looking as large and stupid as ever.  
  
Harry and Ron were still laughing light-heartedly, and appeared to have completely disregarded their enemy's words. Lily, however, was staring after the singular boy, her heart gnawed on by some incomprehensible fear. Some of it, she was sure, was cock and bull, but there was also an element of truth in it that made her most uneasy. She shuddered.  
  
"He's horrible."  
  
"Correction, he's Malfoy," said Harry, straightening up. "More than horrible."  
  
"You don't-you don't think he meant what he said?"  
  
"Hermione, he didn't have any idea what he was talking about. A load of bull. Makes him feel important to talk that way. You know that."  
  
"Oh-yes, of course. But there was something different in it today." Of course, this was a bit of a stretch, as this had been her first ever encounter with the boy, but she couldn't think of any other way to make them interested without making them think she was sick again.  
  
"To you, maybe. To me, it's all the same, always. He hasn't learned a new insult in seven years, I'm dead sure of it."  
  
"Don't say that, Harry. He wants you to be dead, sure. That's what so horrible about it all."  
  
"Mione, if you want the truth, I wouldn't mind so much if he were dead, either. Does that make me horrible, too?"  
  
"Harry, don't talk that way. I know you think you want him dead. But you don't, deep down inside. You wouldn't kill him if you had the chance, and you know that. You're too good for that."  
  
"Can we not turn this into an analysis of my character, Mione? It makes me uncomfortable. You know me too well."  
  
Well of course I do, baby. You're so much like your father. You're everything that's good and kind, and that's what I love about you. It's what I love about him.   
  
"Too bad divination never agreed with you, Mione," chirped Ron, lightening the atmosphere as the trio finally continued their previously interrupted walk to the common room. "You'd have been awfully good at making realistic, incredibly phony predictions. Trelawny would have loved you. Parvati and Lavender would have died."  
  
"Never agreed with me is right," said Lily decisively, speaking less as Hermione than as herself.  
  
"But back to earlier-Hogsmeade. What about it?"  
  
"Oh, Ron. You know I'd love to go lunch or dinner with you. Truly. We'll just have to see. You never know how the weekend's going to play out."  
  
She glanced anxiously at Harry, feeling slightly sorry for him that his two best friends were dating. However, his head was turned the other way, so she couldn't quite read the expression on his handsome face.  


***  


  
The figure of shadow flitted through the corridors, avoiding the light as much as possible. Its steps were light, and as it made its way through the castle and then finally out the huge double doors in the entrance hall, none of the students so much as looked at it twice.  
  
Through the grass and across the grounds, passing the gamekeeper's hut, catching a glimpse of the silvery lake. To the forest.  
  
"Master," it called, its voice hoarse and throaty. "Master."  
  
"I am here." The answering voice wasn't at all unpleasant-rather soothing, low and musical.   
  
"Master. It has been arranged. All has gone according to plan."  
  
"Perfect. You may have a chance yet."  
  
Hard as it was to tell, the secretive figure seemed to be pleased.  
  
"When will it take place, my master?"  
  
"Friday, my Darkness. A week from today."  
  
"If you please, my master-at what hour?"  
  
"At midnight, Darkness. At the stroke of midnight, the darkest hour. The night will be ours."  
  
"Master," it murmured respectfully, bowing its head as it backed away. And then it turned, and flitted across the grounds once more.  
  
Midnight, it thought gleefully. Midnight, and the world was as good as in its possession.  


***


End file.
